Originally marketed to farmers the trucks were immediately successful and were sold to businesses in cities as well.
Since then International trucks have been sold worldwide and built or assembled in the United States, Australia, Brazil, Canada, England, Germany, Mexico, South Africa, the Soviet Union, and Turkey.
International Harvester also built large numbers of military tactical vehicles between 1941 and 1961.
International also has always built a wide range of custom and speciality use trucks and chassis.
It was basically a light wooden wagon with a primitive gasoline engine mounted below the body.
Introduced in 1909 it was designed for farmers using poor rural roads but soon became popular in urban areas.
A front-mounted engine drove through a transmission and driveshaft to a geared differential rear axle.
The new versions received slightly higher weight ratings, to make room for the new, lighter Model S below.
[6] These remained of a shovelnose design, with the radiator mounted behind the engine, a layout retained until they were replaced by the more conventional Models 33-103 in 1924.
During 1928, International's own tractor engines were replaced in the heavy-duty lineup by much more modern and powerful units from Hall-Scott; model numbers accordingly gained an HS- prefix and these were fitted with front drum brakes to handle the higher speeds possible.
The chain driven HS-74-C and 104-C were not replaced and continued to be built in small numbers until 1932, being favored by some loggers and contractors for its simplicity and strength.
It had a rounded cab-over-engine body with sliding doors on a then-current light or medium chassis.
The first new trucks since the war-era D/K/KB models, they introduced a cab with a one-piece curved windshield that continued in service until 1971.
A special A-100 Golden Jubilee Model had a gold and white paint scheme.
A variant, the AC/BC, a modified conventional with a shorter hood, led directly to the LoadStar, which replaced them in 1962.
The Scout was designed to be a utility truck with four-wheel drive, but most were sold as personal recreational vehicles with full-length roofs.
In 1974 the improved raised cab CO4070B TranStar II was introduced and the low-cab version was discontinued.
It had an entirely new body with a simple flat panel design similar to the smaller Scout.
The CargoStar's maneuverability made it useful in cities as straight trucks, larger models could be local semi-tractors.
The TranStar was used as a semi-tractor for local construction, regional hauling, and long distance over-the-road trucking.
It had a set-back front axle with a butterfly hood and flat diamond plate fenders.
In 1973 a set-forward front axle model with a tilting fiberglass hood was added.
[50][51][52] The S series was a range of medium and heavy-duty conventional trucks that was introduced in 1977 to replace and widen the LoadStar and FleetStar lines.
They used an S Series cab with a new low-profile hood that improved driver visibility and reduced air resistance.
They were commonly used for local delivery and vocational work but there were also semi-tractor, service, and specialty models.
Intended for regional highway use with high fuel efficiency, there is a very wide range of aerodynamic aids for both short and long hood models.
[61] The long hood and large grill area allowed the largest highway engines to be used.
The International 9900ix is a heavy duty semi-tractor based on the 9000i but with an extended hood and a 130-inch BBC.
They use the improved NGV cab with single door windows and a low drag hood.
[74][75][76] The CV Series are medium-duty trucks introduced in 2018, and developed in a joint venture with General Motors, which markets the vehicle as the Silverado 4500HD, 5500HD, and 6500HD.